Career criminal sentenced to prison

Prosecuting Attorney Charlene Iboshi has announced that on Aug. 27, 2012, Jason K. Moke, 38, of Hilo, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the offenses of Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree, Possession of Firearm Prohibited, Possession of a Prohibited Firearm, Prohibited Acts Related to Drug Paraphernalia, and Unauthorized Entry into a Motor Vehicle.

On Aug. 12, 2011, police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area of Kaiwiki Road and found Moke asleep in a red sedan. Moke was arrested on two outstanding no-bail felony probation revocation warrants.

As Moke was being arrested, police observed a glass pipe, commonly used to smoke methamphetamine, in plain view within the vehicle.

During the subsequent investigation, police found a glass pipe containing a small amount of methamphetamine, a Ruger .22 riﬂe with a sawed-off barrel, and a clip loaded with twenty-four .22 caliber bullets within the vehicle. The sawed-off ﬁrearm was measured to be 10 inches from stock to tip, and the barrel itself to be six inches.

Further investigation revealed Moke was on felony probation for Unauthorized Entry into a Motor Vehicle, and Prohibited Acts Related to Drug Paraphernalia at the time he committed this new offense, and thus prohibited from possessing any ﬁrearm or ammunition.

Moke was arrested and charged with Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree, Prohibited Acts Related to Drug Paraphernalia, Place to Keep Firearms, Place to Keep Ammunition, Possession of Firearms Prohibited, and Possession of Prohibited Firearm.

On July 11, 2012, Moke entered a pleas of “guilty” to Promoting a Dangerous Drug in the Third Degree, Possession of Firearms Prohibited, and Possession of Prohibited Firearm. On the same day, he also stipulated to the revocation of his probation for Unauthorized Entry into Motor Vehicle and Prohibited Acts Related to Drug Paraphernalia.

On Aug. 27, Moke was sentenced by Judge Greg K. Nakamura to a 10 year term of imprisonment for the above offenses. Nakamura ordered that the prison term for the new charges run consecutively to the prison term for the probation cases for an indeterminate total of 10 years.

Nakamura rejected Moke’s request for concurrent sentencing, citing his extensive criminal history and the combination of drugs
and ﬁrearms.

Anyone having information concerning drug trafﬁcking should call the Hawaii County Police Department Ice Hotline at 934-8423 or at 329-0423, or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 or 329-8181.